The Czech Republic’s main opposition party, ANO, has triggered a no-confidence vote in the government, accusing it of mishandling a controversial $45 million Bitcoin transaction involving funds from a convicted criminal.
The vote is scheduled for Tuesday.
Alena Schillerová, vice chair of the right-wing ANO party, announced the move on Thursday via a post on X, stating that the government had left the party with “no choice” but to act, citing serious concerns over transparency and accountability.
The uproar centres on a May 28 statement from the Czech Justice Ministry confirming the sale of nearly 500 Bitcoin, then valued at over 1 billion Czech koruna (approximately $45 million), through an official auction. The Bitcoin was seized from Tomáš Jiříkovský, who was convicted in 2017 for operating an online black market and engaging in embezzlement, drug trafficking, and arms violations.
ANO has since demanded a full investigation into the sale, questioning whether the origin of the Bitcoin was legally vetted and who specifically authorized the transaction. The party has also claimed that some winners of the Bitcoin auction are allegedly seeking refunds, prompting further concern about how potential damages might be compensated.
The scandal has already prompted the resignation of Justice Minister Pavel Blažek on May 30, who maintained his innocence but said his departure was necessary to preserve the government’s image ahead of the October elections.
In response to the growing controversy, President Petr Pavel swore in a new justice minister, Eva Decroix, on Tuesday. Decroix has pledged full cooperation with an independent investigation into the sale and the ministry’s handling of the case.
Meanwhile, another high-profile crypto controversy has surfaced in Argentina. President Javier Milei recently came under fire after endorsing the Libertad Project’s Solana-based token, Libra (LIBRA), in a now-deleted X post.
However, Argentina’s anti-corruption office cleared Milei of any legal violations in a June 5 resolution, concluding that he acted in a personal capacity and did not breach federal ethics rules for public officials.
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